Absorbent filter for smoking appliances



July 24, 1934.

P. H. MINTON ABSORBENT FILTER FOR SMOKING APPLIANCES Filed July 8,1933

INVENTOR Play ul ltz'nian,

W A TTORNEY Patented July 24, 1934 ABSORBENT FILTER FOR SMOKING APPLIANCES Paul H. Minton, Chatham, N. I.

Application July 8, 1933, Serial No. 679,484

GCIaims.

This invention relates to an improved construction of replaceable absorbent filter device for pipes, cigar and cigarette holders and similar tobacco smoking appliances.

The present invention has for its principal object to provide a novel foraminous absorbent body adapted to be replaceably positioned in the draft passage of a tobacco pipe stem, cigar or cigarette holder or the like so as to separate from tobacco smoke drawn through the latter any moisture and oily suspensions contained therein, while also serving as a filter to retain, against outward passage with the smoke and to the mouth of the smoker, tobacco flakes or crumbs, particles of char or other foreign substances.

The invention has for a further object to provide an absorbent filter body of the kind men- 'tioned wherein a maximum surface area of absorbent material is presented contiguous to the smoke passages therethrough, while at the same time such smoke passages are arranged in labyrinthine form whereby very efiicient filtering effects are obtained.

Other objects of this invention, not at this time 5 more particularly enumerated, will be understood from the following detailed description of the same.

Illustrative embodiments of the present invention are shown in the accompanying drawing, in

which:

Fig. 1 shows a smoking pipe in part section, with the novel absorbent filter according to this invention operatively disposed in the passage of the stem thereof; Fig. 2 is in part a side elevation and in part a vertical longitudinal section of the absorbent filter, drawn on an enlarged scale,

and having internal parts successively broken away to illustrate the relation and arrangement of the elements thereof; Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the'absorbent filter, drawn on a further enlarged scale; Fig. 4 is a schematic view showing the make-up of portions of the absorbent filter, and further showing a modified arrangement of the labyrinthine passage defining elements thereof; and Fig. 5 is an enlarged end view of a complete filter embodying the arrangement of parts shown in Fig. 4.

Similar characters of reference are employed in the above-described views, to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawing, the reference character 10 indicates the absorbent filter body as a whole, which is adapted to be removably inserted in the draft passage of a pipe, cigar or cigarette holder or other smoking appliance, as, for

contains a plurality of passages therethrough adapted to admit passage of smoke contiguous to and in contact with the surfaces of the tubes of absorbent material. Preferably the spacing elements are of such form and are so related to and between the tubes of absorbent material separated thereby, as to form between the latter passages of circuitous or labyrinthine character, as a consequence of which a very eificient filtering effect is obtained, operative to arrest passage through the body of foreign substances, such as tobacco crumbs, char, etc.

Illustrative of the invention, as embodied in a preferred form, the absorbent filter body comprises a central core 16, such as a cord, a twist of paper, or in fact any other material suitable for the purpose. Upon this core 16 is spirally wound one or more strips of paper to form an absorbent irmer tubular member 17. Over the inner tubular member is helically wound a spacing member 18, over which is applied another winding of one or more paper strips to provide an absorbent intermediate tubular member 19, upon which in turn is again helically wound a spacing member '20, and finally another winding of one or more paper strips to provide an absorbent outer tubular member 21. The spacing members 18 and 20 may consist of narrow bands of paper or any other relatively narrow flexible material, which may be either absorbent or nonabsorbent as desired. Said spacing members being disposed between adjacent tubular members, serve to space the same apart, and by reason of the helical winding of the spacing members, the spaces between said adjacent tubular members defin circuitous or labyrinthine passages 22 which extend from end to end of the finished absorbent filter body, the aggregate mass of which is thus given a foraminous character. The spacing elements may be varied in form, and need not necessarily comprise continuous helical elements. It will be obvious that the finished absorbent filter body may consist of any practicable number of absorbent tubular members, in other words, there may be one or more intermediate members between the inner and outer members, all spaced one from the other however by the passage defining spacing members. The tubular members may individually consist of one or more layers or plies of material from which they are formed. It will also be understood that, in its broad aspect. the invention is not confined to the specific form of tubular members provided .by spirally wound strips of absorbentmaterial, since such tubular members may be formed by rectilinearly wound or rolled pieces of absorbent material if desired, the same having suitable spacing members interposed therebetween. As shown in Figs. 4 and 5 a plurality of spacing members i. e. two or more, as e. g. 18'18" and 20'-20", may be employed to separate the tubular members, in which case a plurality of passages 22' and 22" each of smaller cross section, are defined between adjacent tubular members.

It is not essential that the central core 16 be employed, and if desired the same may be omitted entirely, in which case, it is desirable to have the inner tubular member rolled as tightly as possible so as to reduce the cross-sectional rally wound upon the body with contiguous margins of its convolutions overlapped; such overlapping margins being adhesively secured or sealed together, and, if desired, the cover or jacket as whole may be adhesively afilxed to the outer surface of the absorbent filter body. It will likewise be understood that the cover or jacket may be made of any suitable material which is substantially impervious to moisture, thus providing a clean external surface with respect to used filter devices, so that the latter may be handled by the fingers, when removing the same for replacement in a smoking appliance, without risk of soiling the user's fingers. It will also be understood that the cover or jacket may be made of substantially transparent cellulosic material, such as is sold under the trademark Cellophane, this material not only providing the substantially moisture impervious characteristics desired, but also being sufficiently tough and durable to protect the softer material of the absorbent filter body and to reenforce the same mechanically against separation or disintegration especially after the same becomes impregnated with moisture consequent upon its use. Such cellulosic material being also substantially transparent, the user is enabled to inspect the condition of the underlying absorbent body consequent upon its use. This ex ternal cover or jacket 23 may consist of any other form of substantially moisture-proof coating, either substantially transparent or non-transparent, as the case may be.

When the absorbent filter body is in use it is removably inserted in the draft passage of the pipe or other smoking appliance. When the pipe or the like so equipped is smoked, the smoke, un-

der suction exercised by the smoker, is caused to pass through the passages between the spaced tubular members comprising the main absorbent elements of the filter body. Since the surfaces of each tubular member contiguous to these passages is exposed to contact by the smoke traversing the latter, it will be obvious that a very menses considerably increased area of absorbent material becomes eflective, and consequently there ensues a very rapid and efilcient separation of 1 the moisture and oily or tarry substances from the smoke by absorption thereof into the bodies of said tubular members. As a consequence of this, by the time the smoke reaches the mouth of the smoker, it is not only dry and pleasant, but has also been considerably reduced in temperature so that mouth burning and tongue-biting efi'ects are avoided.

Owing to the foraminous character of the absorbent filter body as a whole, the same also serves as an emcient filter for retaining against outward passage from the pipe bowl to the smokers mouth of tobacco crumbs, leaf particles, char and other solid or viscous particles, so that nothing but dry and cool smoke reaches the smokers mouth. The filtering effect is especially enhanced when the passages through the filter body mass are of the preferred circuitous or labyrinthine form above described. The helical passages of the body permit relatively free movement of the smoke from end to end of the body, and consequently do not unduly impede the draft of smoke therethrough or render the smoking appliance "hard drawing"; nevertheless the filtering out the foreign substances or particles is effective, since it is difficult for the same to follow the circuitous helical path, owing to their inertia, and consequently the same are driven against the walls of the passages and against the edges of the spacing elements so as to be caught and adhered more or less thereto, and thus restrained against onward and outward movement from the body.

From the above it will be obvious that a very serviceable absorbent filter body is provided for the intended p ses; and one which, because of its novel form and construction as above described, can be expeditiously and cheaply produced by machine operations and on a mass production scale.

I am aware that changes could be made in the above described constructions, and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof as above described and herebelow claimed. It is therefore intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I. claim:-

1. An absorbent filter for smoking appliances,

comprising a body having a plurality of concentrically spaced apart tubular members, said members being formed of spirally wound paper strips,- and means to space said members apart so as to form circuitous independent pas sages lengthwise o! the body and contiguous to surfaces of said members.

4. An absorbent filter for smoking appliances, comprising a body having a plurality of concentrically spaced apart tubular members, said members being formed of spirally wound paper strips, and narrow spacing elements helically extending between said spaced members so as to form a plurality of independent circuitous passages extending Irom end to end of said body and contiguous to surfaces of said members.

5. An absorbent filter for smoking appliances, comprising a body having a plurality of concentrically spaced apart tubular members, said members being formed of spirally wound paper strips, narrow spacing elements helically extending between said spaced members so as to form a plurality of independent circuitous passages extending from end to end or said body and contiguous to surfaces ofsaid members, and an external jacket secured in enveloping relation to said body.

6. An absorbent filter for smoking appliances, comprising a body having a plurality of concentrically spaced apart tubular members, said members being formed of spirally wound paper strips, narrow spacing elements helically extending between said spaced members so as to form a plurality of independent circuitous passages extending from end to end of said body and contiguous to surfaces of said members, and an external jacket of relatively moisture impervious substantially transparent material secured in enveloping relation to said body and adapted to disclose the condition of the latter consequent upon its use.

PAUL H. MIN'ION. 

